February 15, 2012

"Why a Saudi blogger faces a possible death sentence for three tweets."

The Christian Science Monitor reports on the case of a 23-year-old man, Hamza Kashgari, who tweeted a birthday message to the prophet Muhammad:
"On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you've always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you," read his first tweet, translated here from the original Arabic. "I shall not pray for you."
By the end of the day thousands were tweeting for his execution. Kashgari fled the country and "got as far as Malaysia before being deported back home to face charges of blasphemy, apostasy, and atheism."

39 comments:

Phil 314 said...

but does he get free health care?

Phil 314 said...

This is what the Catholic church will do if we don't keep them in check.

damikesc said...

...perhaps a NON-Muslim country would've been a better idea to flee to.

Just sayin'.

Those "radical Christianists" might not love gay marriage, but they don't tend to execute people for insulting a faith...even their own.

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

"This is what the Catholic church will do if we don't keep them in check."

Lovely Phil- I'm hoping this is sarcasm

a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...

Intriguing. The motif that separates Judaism form other religions is the leader arguing with G-d. Not a whole lot of arguing allowed here. What the accused seems to be inclined to is like a conversation with a brother.

Anonymous said...

He's not even arguing with God here but with the "Prophet"

Toad Trend said...

This, from the people participating in the 'religion of peace'.

Progressives rush to the defense of these very people. Every chance they get.

Christians? Not so much.

Executions for not being registered democrat can't be far off the way things are going.

wv - gomoo

Darrell said...

The important thing here is that Interpol stopped him and sent him back.

Anonymous said...

I think the lack of tolerance for this tepid critique is actually an admission of the weakness of/lack of confidence in their own faith. Why can't God defend himself? This is how Islam disfigures God by reducing Him, to a petty hateful tyrant.

Clyde said...

In my opinion, the willingness of a society to tolerate dissenting viewpoints speaks volumes about the mental stability and sanity of that society. Societies that suppress free speech and free thought seem to have far more than their share of nutters. They don't call them "mad mullahs" for nothing!

Hoosier Daddy said...

The man lives in one of the most repressive theocratic on the planet. WTF did he think was going to happen to him? And then tries fleeing to Malaysian? Pure genius.

traditionalguy said...

The modern Religion of Global Warming also wants to exercise that kind of power over heretics for endangering the life of Gaia's planet.

Official delusions require official sanctions against speech by heretics.

All I want to know is whether we get to watch the public executions.

Triangle Man said...

This is what the Catholic church will do if we don't keep them in check.

Really Phil, they gave that up years ago.

Triangle Man said...

No mention in the article that it was an abuse of the Interpol Red Notice system by the Saudi's that brought him in. Way to go Interpol!

ricpic said...

I don't get what's so terrible about not praying for Mohammed. Isn't Mohammed dead? Or is Mohammed a man/god who died but is immortal? I'm asking seriously. I thought the injunction against idolatry is as strong in Islam as it is in Judaism. What does it even mean to pray for a man who is not a god and is dead?

Brom said...

And this is why people need to be careful about what they post to social media sites. Dude should have kept a private diary....

Fen said...

This is why I always roll my eyes when the libtards harp about the right-wing trying to impose a christian theocracy.

John Burgess said...

@Darrell: Interpol vehemently denies that it issued a warrant. Malaysia, which claimed that Interpol had, has now backed off that claim.

As there's no extradition treaty between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, this appears to be a matter of 'political favors' and 'don't piss off the big guy'.

Kashghari was a journalist, not only a blogger. As such, he really should have known that the country has been ramping up its laws to curtail criticism and explicitly bans speech that offends religious sensibilities. He doubled down on dumb by going through a country that also bases its law on Shariah law and thus has blasphemy on its books.

Had he headed to almost anywhere else--assuming he could get on the plane without a visa--he could have claimed political asylum upon landing. Very few countries actually have blasphemy laws on the books.

cubanbob said...

Tell me again why the US bows and scrapes to the Saudis? Why are we the guarantor of this regime?

Phil 3:14 said...

Better to live under them than under communists.

edutcher said...

Poor guy, he's dead.

PS Ya wanna bet all the dhimmis over here think they'll get a special dispensation from Sharia for all their Constitutional rights?

MadisonMan said...

Dave at 8:00 AM said exactly what I think.

Here's a defense for the Saudi Blogger: Claim you were drunk when you wrote it.

Fen said...

Tell me again why the US bows and scrapes to the Saudis? Why are we the guarantor of this regime?

Because the keep the supply of oil STABLE. Its not the price per say, but wild flucuations in supply that would render most western nations into 3rd world countries.

Not saying I support it, but thats the reality.

Known Unknown said...

Here's a defense for the Saudi Blogger: Claim you were drunk when you wrote it.

A jew hacked his account. Bang. Off scot free.

JAL said...

Nice -- so Malaysia will deport people back to face death for "blasphemy."

Funny. I know a country which gives refuge to people who face death for blasphemy.

Nahh.. No one wants to go *there.*

(Or maybe he was on his way ...)

JAL said...

I do believe Phil 3 had his sarc on (re Catholics).

(But I can't find that communist quote .. is that one deleted? Seriously you had a chance with the communists... with the Sharia fanatics, no hope.)

These guys (Saudis) are the ones that made the school girls go back on the burning building to die because they didn't have their head scarves on.

Gotta block that fracking, cap those wells, and abort the pipeline for the good of humanity. Right?

paul a'barge said...

Drone
Nuke
Muslims

End the madness.

Darrell said...

I'll take Interpol's denial with a grain of salt, however. I can see why they'd make that claim after the shitstorm hit.It's not the only insanity/blunder that they have been accused of in the last decade or so.

Dante said...

I'd rather buy oil from Canadians, or Alaskans.

Lyle said...

Jesus.

Known Unknown said...

Which is more harmful to the world?

A pipeline running from Canada to the United States or ...

The continued dominance of middle eastern theocracy support via oil money?

Rusty said...

Damn Baptists.
oh. wait..................

Tarzan said...

Oh no...a grownup! KEEEL HEEEEM!

Tarzan said...

Watched a documentary last night on the Dark Ages.

I totally get this sort of behavior now!

Will an Enlightenment ever come for these people?

BarrySanders20 said...

No one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle. Even if -- and I want to make this perfectly clear -- they do say 'Jehovah.'"

Kirk Parker said...

John Burgess,

In addition to the corrections you mention, isn't it also true that Kashghari was merely transiting in Malaysia and was arrested while trying to board a flight to NZ?

Darrell, that's a reasonable conjecture. But given that Malaysia is now agreeing that Interpol was not involved, I think it's pretty unlikely.

MadisonMan said...

Jesus

Heretic!

Carnifex said...

Didn't our president write that there was nothing prettier than hearing the screams of the infidels has their heads were sawed off? Something along those lines? Help me out here.

At least they invented algebra.

Ironclad said...

As someone who lived in the Magic Kingdom for over 25 years, just some observations from one who knows the area and people.

First - This guy was a writer for a local paper. He had written similar articles there and on his blog, but the tweets got picked up by the groups that "monitor" this kind of behavior in Saudi and made it public.

Second - This guy is being used as a example to keep everyone else in line. The beardies there have lost some power lately - this is a big chance for them to regain some of it back in the currency they use the most - fear and intimidation

Third - No one in their right mind in Saudi Arabia is going to defend this guy, even though what he said was pretty mild. But mild to you is incendiary to them - even though frankly, the position there has elevated Big Mo to a near divine state ( which is shirk - meaning apostasy )

I just hope that this incident shows that "dialog" with this area is a fool's game. When you have such divergent world views, you can never really expect "multiculturalism" to provide anything other than submission to their views.

Until someone launches and intellectual assault on Islam - this kind of incident is just going to get more frequent - in the West. The only way you stop it is though introducing some kind of introspection into their thoughts, not blind submission to one idea.